Electric lighting device



. y 1938- H. A. DOUGLAS 2,117,762

ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Domains lNVJiNTOR g5 'Harrs .A

J7 ATTORNEYS May 17, 1938. DQUGLAS 2,117,762

ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet '2 jfid /d fig M v 4 1714 INVENTOR May 17, 1938. H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v E I3-20 C 1 4! 1 06 7 Harr5A.Do a 1a.s

Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Kingston Products Corporation,

of Indiana a corporation Application April 4, 1936, Serial No. 72,781

3 Claims.

My invention relates to electric lighting devices, and more particularly to electric-lamp units comprising an incandescent electric lamp mounted in a reflector, as for example in an automobile headlight, and the principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improved lighting device and unit of this type.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, and forming a part. of this application, I have shown, for purposes of illustration, several forms which my invention may assume. 7 In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, certain parts being fragmentarily shown, of one embodiment of my invention, along with a line connector which may be used in connection with that embodiment,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of a mounting or reflector used in the embodiment of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a lamp used in the embodiment of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of a fragment of the lamp of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of thearrows,

Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views taken on the lines 'l'! and 88 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, v

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view, certain parts being fragmentarily shown, of another embodiment of my invention,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of amounting or reflector used in the embodiment of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary rear view of the reflector shown in Figure 10,

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line l2l2 of Figure 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 13 is a front perspective view of a contact carrier used in the embodiment of Figure 9,

Figure 14 is a front elevation of the contact carrier shown in Figure 13,

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view, certain parts being fragmentarily shown, of another embodiment of my invention,

Figure 16 is a rear elevation of a lamp used in the embodiment of Figure 15,

Figure 17 is a front elevation of a line connector used in the embodiment of Figure 15; Figure 18 is a side elevation of the same line connector; Figure 19 is a rear elevation of the same line connector; and Figure 20 is a fragmentary developmental view of a detail.

Referring to Figure 1, the embodiment of my 5 invention here illustrated is shown as including an incandescent electric lamp 30, adapted to be suitably connected to a mounting, the mounting being in this instance a reflector 3i fragmentarily shown. The lamp 30 is provided with a base 32, 10 having a shell 33, which in this instance includes laterally extending positioning means 34, comprising a collar 35 surrounding the shell 33 and a radially extending flange 36 on the collar. The collar 35 may be fastened to the shell 33 in any is suitable manner, as by solder 31. The radial flange 36 is here shown as provided with a rearwardly extending cylindrical flange 38. The radial flange 36 is here shown as provided with three frontwardly extending lugs 39, 40, 4|, con- 20 veniently formed by striking metal out of the flange 36. The lugs 39, 40, 4| are here shown as of rectangular cross-section, unequally circumferentially spaced, and two of the lugs, 39, 4|, are here shown as of equal circumferential width, but each narrower than the other lug, 40. The radial flange 36 is here shown as provided also with three axially frontwardly extending projections 42 conveniently formed by making indentations 43 on the rear face of the flange 36. The axial projections 42 are here shown as circumferentially equally spaced.

In order to make electrical connection with the lamp 30, the lamp is here shown as provided with a pair of contacts 44, 45 in the form of spaced axially extending plug terminals, of the snap type; and these plug terminals, 44, 45, are here shown as of different cross-sectional diameter, but otherwise similar. Each plug terminal has a frustro-conical end portion 46 and an annular furrow 41 spaced somewhat from the frustroconical end portion 46. Cooperable with the plug terminals 44, is a line connector 48 of insulating material in which are disposed two sleeves 49, 56, as may be seen in Figure 7, the inside di- 45 ameters of which correspond respectively to the outside diameters of the plug terminals 44, 45, and which are spaced to cooperate with the plug terminals. Each conducting sleeve 49, 50 may be provided with a detent 5i, struck inwardly from 50 each sleeve, these detents 5i being spaced from the left hand end of the connector 48, as viewed in Figure 1, and so designed that when the plug terminals 44, 45 are pushed into the left hand end of the line connector 48 the detents 5i will re siliently yield and slide up the frustro-conical end surfaces of the respective plug terminals, and then snap into the annular furrows 41. The right hand end of the line connector 48 is here shown as provided with a pair of conducting sleeves 52 of the same diameter, and these sleeves, 52, may be respectively integral with the sleeves 49, 50 at the left hand end. The sleeves 52 at the right hand end may also be provided with detents 53 struck in from the sleeves and are thus cooperable with plug conductor terminals of the snap type, similar to those provided on the lamp base.

The provision of two contacts 44, 45 on the lamp base enables the use of two filaments 54, 55, one of which, 54, may be disposed at some predetermined point with respect to the reflector 3|, as the focus, and the other of which, 55, may be displaced from the filament 54 to provide dim light or so-called tilted light. The filaments 54, 55 may be connected to the base 42 and to the contacts 44, 45 in a well known manner, and may be controlled 'by switching means (not shown) interposed in the circuit of which the line connector 48 forms a part.

The reflector 3| is here shown as provided with a flat portion 55 having a diameter approximately the same as the outside diameter of the positioning means 34 of the lamp, and having a central aperture 51, sufficiently large to pass the bulb of the lamp 35. The reflector 3| is here shown as provided with three rearwardly extending resilient tongues 58, here shown as formed by metal stamped out of the reflector 3| itself. The tongues 58 are here shown as equally circumferentially spaced and as of equal circumferential width. Each tongue 58 is here shown as comprising a generally axially extending portion 59 terminating in a radially inwardly directed hump 58. Each hump 58 forms two cam surfaces 5|, 52, one of which, 5|, is adapted to bear on the rear peripheral margin of the cylindrical flange 38 when the lamp is in the position shown in Figure 1. The crests of the humps 58 are desirably tangent to a circle concentric with the aperture 51, the circle being smaller than the circle defined by the outer periphery of the cylindrical flange 38. The reflector 3| is provided with three recesses or apertures 53, 54, 55, so positioned and so proportioned as to be complementary to the lugs 39, 40, 4| on the radial flange 35 of the lamp, and desirably so positioned that when the lamp is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the axial projections 42 will bear against the rear face of the fiat portion 55 of the reflector approximately circumferentially half-way between the respective tongues 58.

It will be clear that in order to remove the lamp 38 from the reflector it is only necessary to pull it axially rearwardly, thereby causing the tongues 58 to resiliently bend radially outwardly, by the cam action exerted on the cam surfaces 5| by the rear peripheral margin of the cylindrical flange 38. When it is desired to assemble the lamp 38 with the reflector 3| it will be evident that it will be positioned co-axially with the aperture 51, at the rear of the reflector, and moved axially frontwardly, bulb first, toward the reflector, the bulb passing through the aperture 51, whereupon the front peripheral margin of the cylindrical flange 33 will engage the cam surfaces 52 of. the tongues 58 thereby resiliently bending the tongues 58 radially outwardly, the lamp being rotationally so positioned that the lugs 39, 48, 4| will enter the apertures 53, 54, 55

in the reflector. The lamp 30 then assumes the position shown in Figures 1, 3, and 6 in which the axial projections 42 are in contact with the rear face of the flat portion 55 of the reflector and the resilient biasing action of the tongues 5 58, by action of the cam surfaces 5|, holds the lamp in assembled position.

If, in moving the lamp 38 frontwardly, against the bias of the cam surfaces 52, the lugs 39, 48, 4| do not at once enter the apertures 53, 54, 55, but abut the rear surface of the flat portion 55 of the reflector, the rear peripheral margin of the cylindrical flange 38 will, in that case, not have passed beyond the crests of the humps '58, and it will be apparent to the operator that the lamp is not properly positioned. He will therefore rotate the lamp until the lugs 39, 48, 4| will enter the apertures 53, 54, 55, the lamp then snapping frontwardly to the position shown in Figures 1 and 3. In case the lamp should be rotationally so positioned that one of the lugs 39, 4| would enter the aperture 54, the cooked position of the lamp would indicate to the operator that it was improperly positioned, the remedy being obvious. 25

It will be evident that when the lamp 30 is assembled with the reflector,'as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the filaments 54, 55 will be accurately positioned with respect to the reflector, since the distance of the flange 35 from the filaments 54, 55 is accurately predetermined, and the direction of the plane of the flange 35 with respect to the axis of the lamp is accurately predetermined, and the lamp is rotationally properly positioned by the lugs 39, 48, 4| and apertures 53, 54, 55.

The positioning means 34 may be pre-positioned with respect to the lamp 38 by placing the flange 35 on a standard, with the shell within the collar 35, and adjusting the lamp until the filaments 54, 55 are in the desired positions, whereupon, the collar 35 is soldered to the shell 33.

It will be apparent that the line connector 48 may be connected to the plug terminals 44, 45 of the lamp either before or after the lamp is assembled with the reflector. If, on the other hand, the tongues 58 project frontwardly from the reflector instead of rearwardly, the positioning means 34 being then reversely mounted on the lamp, so that the axial projections 42 abut the front face of the flat portion 55 of the reflector, the line connector 48 would be drawn through the aperture 51 in disassembling the lamp from the reflector, and would be first assembled with such a lamp before assembling the lamp with the reflector.

Referring to Figure 9, the embodiment of my invention here illustrated is shown as including an incandescent electric lamp 30a, which is identical with the lamp 35 of the embodiment of Figure 1, with the exception of the fact that it is provided with a pair of butt-type contacts 55, 51 instead of the plug-type contacts 44, 45 of the lamp of Figure 1. I

The lamp 38a is cooperable with a reflector 3|a. which is identical with the reflector 3| of the embodiment of Figure 1, with the exception that in this instance it embodies means for cooperation with a contact carrier 58, taking the place of the line connector 48 of Figure 1. The contact carrier 58 is constructed and arranged to be cooperable with the butt-type contacts 55, 51 on the lamp base. For cooperation with the contact carrier 58 the ends of the reflector 75 operable with the radial extending .front face of 2,117,782 tongues 58a are here shown as provided with radial extending projections 69, 10, 1|, of reduced circumferential width. The projections 69, 1| are here shown as of equal width but narrower than the other projection, 10. I

The contact carrier 68, as here shown, comprises a flat generally annular member 12 provided with three circumferentlally equally spaced radial projections 13 merging into three axially extending prongs 14. The free ends of the prongs 14 are bent slightly outwardly to form cams'15. The axially extending portions 14 are here shown as provided with rectangular apertures 16, 11, 18, desirably disposed at the junction between the earns 15 and the axially extending portions 14. The apertures 16, 11, 18 are so positioned and proportioned as to be complementary to and coprojections 69, 10, 1| on the reflector tongues. The prongs 14 are desirably so constructed and arranged, with respect to the tongues 58a, that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 9, the ends of the prongs will tend to move radially inwardly, so that the prongs will be firmly seated on the shoulders formed by the projections 69, 10, 1|.

The annular member 12 of the contact carrier is here shown as provided with an insulating member 19 having an outside diameter approximately the same as the inside diameter of a circle defined by a plurality of frontwardly extending arcuate projections, on the annular member 12, here shown as four in number, 80, 8|, 82, 83. These projections may be conveniently formed by metal integral with the annular member 12, and as having their inner peripheries margining an aperture 88 in the annular member 12. Extending into the aperture 88 are here shown two diametrically opposite segmental flanges 89, integral withthe member 12. abutted by the insulating member 19. The insulating member 19 is here shown as provided with three circumferentially unequally spaced projections 84, 85, 86, two of which, 84, 85, are narrower than the other, 86. The wider projection, 86, is adapted to fit between the adjacent margins of the arcuate projections 82, 83, while the narrower projections, 84, 85, have margins abutting margins of the other two arcuate projections, 80, 8|. The arrangement of the arcuate projections 80, 8|, 82, 83 and of the radial projections 84, 85, 86 on the insulating member 19 is such that the insulating member may be assembled with the annular member 12 in but one relative rotative relation. The arcuate projections 80, 8|, 82,

83 are here shown as provided with a plurality of fingers 81 clinched radially inwardly over the the insulating member 19 to hold it in place.

The insulating member contacts 90, 9|, desirably formed as enlarged heads on shanks fitted over and swedged to the ends of conductors 92, 93 respectively. The contacts 90, 9| are disposed in sleeves 94, each sleeve being slidable within a bushing 95, which is fixedly mounted, in any'suitable manner, as by beading, to the insulating member 19. Each sleeve is surrounded by a spring 96 between its bushing and a flange 91 on each sleeve abutting the respective contacts. When the parts are as shown in the position in Figure 9, the contacts 90, 9| of the contact carrier are adapted to make contact respectively with the contacts 66, 61 on the lamp base.

The filaments 54a,

19 carries a pair of 55a of the lamp are connected to the base 32a and to the lamp contacts 66, 61, and are controllable by switch means (not shown) interposed in the'conductors 92, 93, as already mentioned in connection with the fllaments 5 55 of theembodiment of Figure 1.

It will be apparent that in the embodiment of Figure 9, the contact carrier 68 must be first disassembled from the reflector 3| a before the lamp 30a can be removed, the contact carrier 68 being disassemblable from the reflector, as will be obvious, by simply springing the prongs 14 outwardly sufliciently to disengage them from the radial projections 69, 10, 1| on the reflector tongues 58a. The lamp 30a may then be removed as already explained in connection with the embodiment of Figure 1. The mode of assembly of the lamp,30a with the reflector is the same as already set forth in connection with Figure 1.

tions 69, 10, 1|, and the contact carrier is moved bodily frontwardly, the radial projections 69, 10, 1| causing the prongs 14 to move resiliently outwardly by cam action on the cams 15, until the prongs snap radially inwardly, as the projections 69, 10, 1| enter the apertures 16, 11, 18 in the prongs. It will be evident that due to the hereinbefore described construction the contact cardiametrically These lugs, 98, 99,-serve as a means for making connection toa. contact carrier 00, which in this embodiment takes the place of the contact carrier 68 of the embodiment of Figure 9.

The contact carrier is here shown as including acylindrical shell |0| of such inside diameter that it will slip over the collar 35b. The shell |0| is provided with a pair of bayonet slots 02, for cooperation with the lugs 98, 99 on the lamp base 32b. The bayonet slots I02, I03 each have an axial extending entrance portion I04 and a circumferentially extending portion I05 terminating in a seat |06. The entrance portion 04 and the seat portion |06 of the bayonet slot |02 are narrower than the entrance portion I04 and seat portion I06 of the bayonet slot I03, for cooperation with the lugs 98, 99. so that the contact carrier |00 may be assembled with the lamp 30b in but one relative rotative relation. The contact carrier I00 includes an insulating mem-- ber I01, an outside diameter of which is approximately the same as the inside diameter of the shell |0|, and is provided with three radially extending projections I08, I09, 0 cooperable with three axially extending recesses H2, H3 at the rear end of the shell I 0|. The projection I08 and the recess I are larger than the other two projections, I09, 0, and cooperating recesses, H2, 3, so that the insulating member I01 may be assembled with the I ure 9. When shell "II in but one relative rotative relation. The insulating member llll may be held to the shell IN by a plurality of fingers Ill provided at the rear end of the shell, and clinched radially inwardly over the rear face of the insulating member. The contact carrier Hill is here shown as provided with a pair of spring pressed contacts 90b, 9 lb, constructed and arranged the same as already described in connection with the spring pressed contacts 99, 9| of the embodiment of Figthe parts are in the position shown in Figure 15 the contacts 90b, 9") are cooperable with the butt-type contacts 66b, 61!) provided on the lamp base 32b.

The contact carrier I00 may be assembled with the lamp base 3% by bringing the contact carrier into the proper relative rotative relation with the base, so that the lugs 98, 99 will slip into the entrance portions I04 of the bayonet slots I02, I03 and then turning the contact carrier or lamp to bring the lugs 98, 99 onto the seats I05. The springs 96b serve to press the contacts 90b,

9) against the lamp contacts 66b, 61b and also to press the lugs 99, 99 against the seats I06.

The reflector 3lb of the embodiment of Figure 15 is here shown as identical with the reflector 3| of the embodiment of Figure 1, and the lamp 301) is assemblable with and disassemblable from the reflector M2) in the manner already set forth in connection with the embodiment of Figure 1.

In this instance also the lamp 3) may be 9.5 sembled with and disassembled from the reflector 3lb either with or without the contact carrier Hill in cooperative relation therewith.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that each of the illustrated embodiments of my invention provides a new and improved electric lighting device and unit, readily and conveniently constructed and assembled, and accordingly, each accomplishes the principal object of my invention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiments of my invention may be variously changed and modified, or features thereof, singly or collectively, embodied in other combinations than those illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacriing lugs and a 1. An incandescent electric lamp, comprising:

a base; a lateral extension unitary with said base; said lateral extension being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extendplurality of circumferentially spaced projections extending axially in the same direction as said lugs but to a less extent; and

flange means at the outer periphery of said lateral extension, said flange means extending in an axial direction opposite from said lugs and said projections.

2. In combination: an incandescent electric lamp having contact means; mounting means for supporting said lamp; biasing means for holding said lamp on said mounting means; a contact carrier, carrying contact means cooperable with said lamp contact means; and assembling means for detachably assembling said contact carrier and said mounting means; said assembling means including a portion of said mounting means and a portion of said contact carrier and being so constructed and arranged that said contact carrier may be detachably assembled with said mounting means by movement of said contact carrier solely in the general direction of the axis of said lamp.

3. In combination: an incandescent electric lamp having a base provided with a laterally extending flange, and axially extending flange means at the outer periphery of said flange; a reflector having transverse to the axis of said lamp; said flange being so constructed and arranged that a lateral portion thereoLis adapted to register with said reflector portion at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points; said flange means extending in a direction away from said reflector; and biasing means, including a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring flngers carried by said reflector and engaging the peripheral margin of said flange means at its free end, so constructed and arranged that said flange is pressed into register with said reflector.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

